I learned how to dance properly when I was 28. I had done the ole Irish Dancing, the tap and jazz, the modern dance classes (borrrrring!) when I was a child and a teen – sure what young wan didn’t. But it wasn’t until I formed The Pink Panties burlesque troupe with my choreographer friend Marc Cleary, that I actually learned how to move.

We trained for two hours, two nights a week for about six months before we had our first gig and even then, I still didn’t know how to move. I was too uptight, too self-conscious, couldn’t let myself go, my hips wouldn’t move. The total fear on my face at our first gig at a gay night in Break For The Border tells all – I knew I was pretty shit at what I was doing.

See that really sexy chick on the left? Yeah, that’s not me.

But I didn’t give up. I kept going to rehearsals, I kept looking at the other girls in the troupe who were all amazing dancers and one day, it just clicked. Marc looked at me, smiled and said ‘Go, Shazwanda!’ (that’s where that nick-name started!) and ‘Go’ I went, shaking my booty all the way.

I now totally consider myself an ex-dancer, and credit all that training to regaining my figure (eventually) after both pregnancies. I also incorporate dancing into our lives daily as much as possible. We have a ‘disco light’ in our hall that rotates and throws out colourful lights, and so that gets put on after dinner every day so that the kids and I can have a boogie. It’s almost like a de-stress trigger – no matter what kind of shitty mood we might be in, it can be disabled instantly by a l’il shimmy around our house. What kid doesn’t love to dance, right?

That’s why I love this video, because kids and dancing, and letting them lead the way, should be every day ;o)